Pakistan's ISI still supporting the Taliban, say Afghans

Pakistan's intelligence agency is directing Taliban attacks on Western targets
in Afghanistan, Davood Moradian, a senior government official has claimed.

By Dean Nelson, South Asia Editor

5:12PM BST 15 Oct 2009

The policy adviser to foreign minister Rangeen Dadfar Spanta, said the British and American governments were fully aware of the ISI's role but lacked the courage to confront Islamabad.

He said his government had given British and American intelligence agents evidence which proved ISI involvement in bombings, but they had failed to act.

His claims will cause anger in London and Washington where the rising human cost of supporting the Karzai government is fuelling resentment.

Britain and the United States have both criticised the government of Hamid Karzai for failing to engage 'reconcilable' elements in the Taliban alliance and draw them out of military conflict and into the political process.

But in his interview with Reuters, Mr Moradian blamed the ISI's support for the Taliban which he said had sabotaged Kabul's attempts at reconciliation.

He claimed General Stanley McChrystal, commander of Nato forces in the country, shared his views and "publicly and openly stated the ISI role" in a report written in August.

In that report Gen McChrystal said the Taliban were "reportedly aided by some elements in Pakistan's ISI" but did not list specific cases.

Mr Moradian said the Afghan government had given the Americans and Britain evidence from telephone intercepts which indicated the ISI played a guiding role in the 2008 bombing of India's embassy in Kabul in which its military attaché, press officer, and two soldiers were killed.

"There were telephone records of the ISI officers directing, and we shared that information with the intelligence community... but their political masters do not have that courage. When it comes to the ISI we do not see that bravery on the part of the international community," he said.

He said the ISI's sponsorship of the Taliban was beyond the political control of Pakistan's foreign and interior ministries and was motivated by a strategy to keep the West sufficiently fearful of Taliban gains to continue funding the Pakistan military.

At the time of the attack on the Indian embassy, American diplomats said they believed "retired" Pakistan intelligence agents had provided support.

These "rogue" elements were beyond the control of both the Pakistan military and the country's political leadership, they said.